Praising the Power of God’s Right Hand - Psalm 117-119:72

Psalms 118:15-16 (ESV)

Glad songs of salvation

are in the tents of the righteous:

“The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,

the right hand of the LORD exalts,

the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”

There is nothing like a great song.   Men have been making music since the beginning of time. There are over 200 songs in the Bible and the first one recorded is the Song of Moses in Exodus 15.   Israel had just crossed the Red Sea on dry ground and Pharaoh’s army was destroyed when the sea returned to its rage.   Note what Moses said there and how it correlates to our above passage:

Exodus 15:4-6 (ESV)

“Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea,

and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.

The floods covered them;

they went down into the depths like a stone.

Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power,

your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.

Of course, we know from the New Testament references that Jesus sits at the right hand of God.  

Mark 16:19 (ESV)

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

Moses, long before Jesus’ death, resurrection and accession to the right hand sang of the power and glory of God’s right hand.  There are almost 150 verses in God’s Word about the right hand.  The right hand is used, when referring to God, as a metaphor for the omnipotence of God.  

When looking at references for the “right hand” we find:

1. A blessing was better coming from the right hand than for the left - Genesis 48:17-19

2. The blessing of of God is from His right hand - Matthew 25:33-41 (judgement on the left)

3. Wisdom is said to be on the “right” - Ecclesiastes 10:2

4. Institution for service focused on the right (Leviticus 8:22-24).  

6.  The place of honor was the right (Psalm 110:1)

7.  Strength was from the right hand (Psalm 20:6; Psalm 78:54)

8. Authority is from the right hand (Revelation 10:5-6)

In the above text we read that the right hand of God is “valiantly.”  Note what Strong’s Dictionary says about this word:

(Olive Tree Enhanced Strong's Dictionary) h2428. חַיִל ḥaiyl; from 2342; probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength: — able, activity, (+) army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, (+)valiant(-ly), valour, virtuous(-ly), war, worthy(-ily). It is translated in the AV (243 different ways):   Army 56, man of valour 37, host 29, forces 14, valiant 13, strength 12, riches 11, wealth 10, power 9, substance 8, might 6, strong 5, misc 33;

strength, might, efficiency, wealth, armystrengthability, efficiencywealthforce, army

In the context of Psalm 118 we are reading a liturgical song of corporate worship.  In this worship the writer of the song is telling us to recognize and lift up God’s power in praise.   A key to understand the above is to read the verse that comes just prior to these verses:

Psalms 118:14 (ESV)

The LORD is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

The writer is telling us that we have strength and a power song when we recognize the significance of the right hand of God.  As we believe and act based upon the power of God’s right hand (Jesus, His Son) we have personal strength and a song.